1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electrical connector assembly comprising first and second mating electrical connectors, for example a pin header connector and a socket connector, having rack and pinion means for use in mating and unmating the connectors.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such a connector assembly is known, for example, from DE-U-8714016.0, which assembly comprises first and second mating electrical connectors, the first connector having a first insulating housing and the second connector having a second insulating housing, the first housing having side walls defining a receptacle having a mouth for receiving the second housing in mating relationship with the first housing, the side walls of the first housing being formed with a pair of opposed racks, and side walls of the second housing having thereon a pair of opposed levers each having a pinion for meshing with teeth of a respective one of the racks, the levers being swingable drive the housings into, and out of, fully mating relationship, when the pinions are meshed with the racks.
Such an assembly is for use in a crowded environment, for example, beneath the dash panel of a vehicle, where access to the connector assembly may be difficult when the housings of the assembly are to be mated and unmated in the course of electrical repairs to be made to the vehicle.
In a known connector assembly of the kind defined above, the racks are incorporated into the inner surfaces of the side walls of the receptacle of the first insulating housing so that complex tooling is needed in order to form the racks when the housing is being moulded. Because of the presence of the racks in said side walls, the side walls are of substantial thickness so that the width of the housing is increased, which is disadvantageous when the connector assembly, or indeed a bank of such assemblies is to be mounted in a crowded environment.